September 21, 2009
Writing
Tip of the Week
Subject-Verb Agreement—Part 1
Agreement
is matching the form of one word to another.
Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural
verbs.
1. A Subject and Its
Verb Must Agree Even When They Are Separated by Other Words. Sometimes the simple subject is separated from the
verb by other words. Make sure the verb
agrees with the subject and not with another noun that falls between.
Incorrect Homer’s custom-made towels
imprinted with the trademark “Disco Stu” logo is
for sale.
Correct Homer’s custom-made towels imprinted with the trademark “Disco Stu” logo are for
sale.
The verb should read are
because the subject of the sentence is towels,
not logo.
***Intervening
words that begin with expressions such as accompanied
by, as well as, in addition to, with, together with, or along with do not change the number of
the subject, because these expressions are considered prepositions and not
coordinating conjunctions.
Correct The
defendant’s voracious appetite, as well as his unusually large mouth, makes
me
think, “tis not a man…tis a
remorseless eating machine.”
2. Two or More Subjects Joined by And Usually Take a Plural Verb.
The rule does not change even if
one or all of the subjects are singular.
Correct Homer and
Barney are drinking buddies.
Exception Occasionally two or more
parts of a subject make up one idea or refer to one person or thing.
In such cases use a singular verb.
Correct Mr. Burns’s heir
and beneficiary is to be Mr. Smithers.
3. Subjects Joined by Or or Nor Take Verbs That Agree with the Part
of the Subject Nearest
to the Verb.
Correct Neither Apu nor the members of the NRA
are in favor of Homer having a gun.
Correct Neither the
members of the NRA nor Apu is in favor
of Homer having a gun.
4. Most Indefinite Pronouns Take Singular Verbs.
The most common indefinite pronouns are: all, any, anyone, anybody, each, either,
everyone, everybody, everything, neither, nobody, no one, none, somebody,
someone, and something.
Correct Everybody drinking beers at Moe’s has
been arrested at least once for being drunk in public.
Exception A few indefinite pronouns—none, all, most, some, any, and half—may
take either a singular or plural verb
depending on the noun to which they refer.
Correct Half of Homer’s brain has turned to hops.
Correct Half of the beers are in Homer’s stomach.
Adapted from: The
New St. Martin’s Handbook—Lunsford & Connors
The Legal Writing Handbook—Oates, Enquist, & Kunsch
Prepared by Chris Dunn